STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER “COMING HOME” FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY By Rosanne Boyett Beacon Staff Writer
CIBOLA COUNTY – Planning started in late March for the annual Fourth of July festivities, including the traditional parade. “So many people come ‘home’ for the Fourth of July to visit family and friends,” said Star Gonzales, Grants/Cibola County Chamber of Commerce director. “Here the Fourth is the big event of
the summer for most residents.” She pointed out that this year’s theme is: Stars and Stripes Forever. The Grants’ Rodeo Association and the chamber coordinate three days of family-friendly activities. Some events are held in Grants and all rodeo activities are held at the rodeo grounds, west of Highway 53 on the road to San Rafael, said the chamber director. “It really takes a lot of hard work
by many people to make the Fourth of July a successful event,” noted Gonzales. “We are grateful for all the community members who help with the parade, especially the Quadrathlon committee.” “The Grants’ rodeo is the oldest continuously-held Fourth of July celebration in the state,” acknowledged Jamie Holton, long-time See FOREVER, Page 4
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GRA member. “For 85 years the rodeo association has provided leadership for the parade and the chamber has assisted with the event.” She highlighted this year’s rodeo theme: Tough Enough to Wear Pink. “One of our association vicepresidents, Harold Matthews, recently passed away from cancer,” explained Holton. “It was his idea to dedicate this year’s rodeo proceeds to support cancer research.” “The weekend brings generations of people together and it’s like a big party,” noted one parade organizer. “It’s like a big family reunion – people who haven’t seen each other for years stop and talk on the sidewalks, wave at familiar faces in the parade and enjoy the hometown atmosphere,” agreed the chamber director. “There are usually 80-100 parade entries,” explained Bob Clark, chamber board member. “With this year’s theme there will be lots of U.S. flags everywhere downtown. We expect more than 30 floats will compete for first, second and third place.” The three-member judging panel will award top prizes of $175, $100 and $50 respetively to the winning floats. The judges’ decisions will be based on
how well the entry represents this year’s theme, overall appearance, attention to decorating details and the design’s intricacy, according to Clark. On Saturday and Sunday mornings more than two dozen vendors will offer passersby everything from arts and crafts to turkey burgers plus information from numerous community non-profit groups, according to Gonzales. She pointed out there will be live entertainment each day and booths will close in the late afternoon to allow time fans to drive out to the rodeo grounds where events will be held all three days. The parade, which starts at 9 a.m. on Monday morning, July 4, is just one part of the weekend. This traditional display of Cibola County pride is followed by family-friendly activities in the downtown parks. The festive day will draw to an end at the Coyote del Malpais Golf Course with live music, food and the ever-popular fireworks. “I can’t think of a safer way to celebrate the holiday,” said Gonzales. “The fireworks start at dusk and last about 30 minutes. The golf course is the perfect place because the fire department is there to ensure safety and the greens are a much better place to shoot off fireworks than in someone’s backyard.” Last year hundreds of people gathered to watch the display, according to the chamber director. She pointed out that this is the third year for the professional fireworks’ display. The city and the rodeo association welcome community members to the three-day celebration. “People of all ages are guaranteed fun and excitement at this year's event,” promised organizers. For information on the schedule of holiday events call the chamber at 287-4802 and for information on rodeo events visit discover@grants.org and http://www.grantsrodeo.com/
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Schedule: Wild West Days Rodeo Friday, July 1 • Team roping, 6 p.m. Buckles awarded to high money header and heeler #10 and # 11.Three for 60 a team, or three for 30 a man. Enter at 6 p.m., start roping at 7 p.m. Roping competition information: 287-3405 or 1-505409-1645 Saturday July 2 • NBHA Open Barrel Race, 11 a.m. For entry forms: www.grantsrodeo.com or www.nmnbha.com Late entry fees accepted Saturday, July 2, 7 - 9 a.m. For more information: 285-6311 or 285-5772 • 18 and under Junior Rough Stock, 7 p.m. Buckle to event winners in: Sheep riding, calf riding, steer riding, bull riding, bareback riding and saddle bronc. Late entries accepted from 5-7 p.m. Entry forms www.grantsrodeo.com or call 1-505-6341484. Sunday, July 3 • 18 and under Junior Timed Events, 9 a.m. All-Around Saddle awards to boy and girl in each age group. Late entries accepted from 7-8:00 a.m. No entries will be accepted after the rodeo starts. Entry formswww.grantsrodeo.com or call 1-505-6341484
Team roping, $40 per man enter two times. Kids! Shoe Scramble. Slack will be after first performance. Entries open June 21 from 6-10 p.m. and each night until slots are filled. Entry information: 1-970-739-3851 or 1-970-769-3243 Email entry to: Crossroadsrodeocompany@yahoo.com. Stock provided by Crossroads Ranch Rodeo Company Pueblo Country will be playing Friday and Saturday evenings at the Cow Palace, 9 p.m. From I-40 take Exit 81, Highway 53 south. Rodeo grounds offer 100 livestock stalls. This is a “Tough Enough To Wear Pink Weekend” event. Proceeds from this program will be used to provide mammograms at Cibola General Hospital in Grants. For more information visit: www.grantsrodeo.com
Monday, July 4 • Open Rodeo, at 1:30 and 7 p.m. Saddle bronc, bareback riding, bull riding and novice bull riding, $75. 13 and under steer riding, $45, nine and under calf riding, $35. Mutton busting (50 pounds and less) $20, calf roping, $75, breakaway roping, $75. Steer wrestling, $75, 4-D barrel racing, $55.
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Schedule: Chamber of Commerce The Grants/Cibola County Chamber of Commerce annual Fourth of July Celebration is scheduled for July 2-4 at City Hall Park, West Santa Fe Avenue and Iron Avenue in Grants. Saturday, July 2, noon - 5 p.m. • “Over the Limit” band performs, sponsored by Dancing Eagle Casino • Vendor booths open • Face-painting • Kids! games
Sunday, July 3, noon – 5 p.m. • “Common Ground” band performs • Vendor booths open • Face-painting • Kids! games Monday, July 4, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. • “Red, White and Blue Parade”, line-up at 8 a.m. at the intersection of Wayne and High Streets. • Parade starts at 9 a.m. and the route will be east on Santa Fe Avenue and then north on First Street. • Cheerleaders and dance teams perform in City Hall Park immediately after the parade, approximately 10:30 a.m. • Vendor booths open • Kids! games • “Power Drive” band performs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Live entertainment at Coyote Del Malpais Golf Course, 6 – 9 p.m., includes hotdogs and beverages for sale. • Fireworks! display at golf course, beginning at dusk. Display is open to the public and is sponsored by the City of Grants and Cibola County.
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Wild West Days 2011 24 Hour Telephone Banking: (505) 285-4405 • Fax: (505) 287-2260 3 Locations: 824 West Santa Fe Ave., • Grants, NM 87020 1015 Roosevelt Ave. • Grants, NM 87020 & Old Route 66 • Milan 6 WILD WEST DAYS 2011
Tues. - Sat. 7am - 2 pm Sundays 9 am - 2 pm
Fourth of July fireworks’ displays planned for Independence Day Grants The City of Grants is hosting its annual fireworks! display at the Coyote Del Malpais Golf Course, 2001 George Hanosh Blvd., in Grants. Live entertainment, food and beverages will be available starting at 6 p.m. and the fireworks are scheduled to begin around dusk, which is close to 9 p.m., according to Star Gonzales, Grants/Cibola County Chamber of Commerce director. For more information call 287-4802. Pueblo of Acoma A fireworks! show by Zambellli Fireworks! Internationale will begin at dusk. The event will be held north of the rodeo grounds. Seating capacity is 1,500 and there is no entrance fee. For more information call 1-505-552-6017.
Fire Restrictions in Place The Fourth of July holiday is quickly approaching and it!s time to remind everyone that possession and use of fireworks is illegal on public lands! The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in New Mexico has issued a Fire Prevention Order, stating that it is illegal to carry, discharge or otherwise use fireworks on BLM-managed lands. Fireworks are only one of the causes of wildfires, especially on rangelands— the order also prohibits incendiary bullets, tracer ammunition, and exploding targets; and burning, igniting or causing any tire, wire, magnesium, plastic or any other hazardous or explosive material. Cibola County Emergency Manager Tony Boyd is stressing resiBOYD dents to NOT use Fireworks due to the extreme conditions. Boyd is suggesting residents attend public displays to help reduce the possibility of firework related fires. Grants has already had a couple small fires where they found fireworks to be the cause.
Pueblo of Laguna Day-long activities begin at 7 a.m. at the K!Awaika Center and include free admission. The governor!s address is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the fireworks! display begins at dusk, shortly after 9 p.m. For more information call 1-505-552-7243.
(505) 287-5101
Barbara L. Cregger FAX: 285-9892 NM WATTS: 1-800-753-7475 WILD WEST DAYS 2011 9
PARADE GRAND MARSHALL — RUSS DOUGLAS — By Aubrey Ashbaugh Beacon Staff Writer
Russ Douglas at Bi-County Fair.
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CIBOLA COUNTY - Russ Douglas is a fine wine that gets better with age, and he is now the Grand Marshall for the Fourth of July parade. Douglas, a charming and ageless man, has been a long time Grants resident and a very active community member. He took the time to share his long story of how he came to Grants and the many activities he’s participated in and created over the years. Douglas was born in Clifton,
Colorado, and raised in Grand Junction. His father was a car salesman, and his mother a stay at home mom. Before coming to Grants, Douglas lobbied in several states, including Washington D.C. as well as being a national speaker. “I loved it. It allowed me to travel, and I love to travel. I got to see some really great historical things,” explained Douglas. He has worn many hats in the job world, but his job as a realtor is what brought him to Grants. Douglas has participated in many or-
Douglas as a volunteer Reserve Officer for the sheriff!s department.
ganizations in the area, as well as creating some of his own. He helped organize a women’s softball team when he first arrived in 1959 that competed with teams from all over the state. He went to work at Kerr-McGee Recreation in 1960 and was president of the company for six years. He organized and started his own paper for the company named the ‘Plateau Partyline.’ He is a WWII Veteran and is currently the Commander at the V.F.W. posts. He was an avid participant in the Booster Club at Grants High and was an announcer for many years at the Grants High Football games. He has run for city council and county commissioner several times. He participated in Youth and Loyalty Day in the 80’s and was active in helping with Cub Scouts. To add to the stack of
hats Douglas wears, he also managed to make a name for himself in acting and singing. He’s participated in many plays in the community with what was known as Cracker Barrel Playhouse Productions starring in plays such as Mary Mary, The Life of Helen Keller, The night of January 16th and The Christmas Story. Though many believe no one quite deserves the title Grand Marshall as much as Douglas does, Douglas says otherwise. “ I never really tried to do any of this stuff. It just happened, and these are the things that make me happy. They are my livelihood, and have built the life I live. I have many great stories from all of them,” smiled Douglas. “I’m happy to do it, but I’m just a guy with lots of good stories.” Though Douglas is retired, he has no itch to sit around. Douglas is active in the Bi-County Fair, sings for his church, and attends Karaoke night occasionally at Sky City Casino. He is married, and still travels regularly. Aside from collecting stories, Douglas will be happy participating as Grand Marshall at the Parade, and hopes to see his fellow community members there. He is still out looking for things to do to be able to give back to community, but somehow can never find the time to do all the things he would like to do.
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— CHARRO GARCILAZO — By Ron Gonzales Beacon Staff Writer
CIBOLA COUNTY – Lost oftentimes, in rodeo celebrations, is a proper nod to their origins. What began as a competitive sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, blossomed in the new world, including into the conclave of what is now Cibola County. Heck, many of the words used in rodeo – lasso, corral, chaps, stampede and mustang included – have Spanish language roots, to further cement this association. So, for this year’s Fourth of July parade, the word “charro” lets residents of the County expound upon Charro Tomas Garcilazo
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this further. As in, Tomás Garcilazo, a “charro” (or traditional horseman from Mexico) will bring his superior horsemanship to the 4th of July parade in Grants, which begins at 9 a.m.
505-287-7927 600 W. Santa Fe Ave. Grants, NM 14 WILD WEST DAYS 2011
“He’s amazing,” Grants/Cibola County Chamber of Commerce executive director Star Gonzales said. “The actual horses he uses are breathtaking and beautiful and he can do things with a rope that nobody has ever done. We’re thrilled to have an act of his caliber coming to our area.” Garcilazo’s training in “la charreria” began in his native Mexico City, where he commenced as the third generation in his family to do so. Those humble beginnings have allowed him to travel the world, performing his dazzling rope artistry and mastery in locales like Germany, France, Italy and Holland, as well as all over the United States. An internet search for reviews of his performances 7reveal that wherever Garcilazo goes, he is met with dropped jaws. Writer Ross Hecox wrote, Continued on Page 17
Garcilazo to appear at Grants Rodeo Grounds and Fourth of July Parade “the diminutive charro is not only skilled with a loop, but his horsemanship is excellent. His palomino, with its mane reaching nearly to the ground, performs the entire routine (without a bridle), loping, spinning and standing calmly while Tomás twirls his loops.” Grants Rodeo Association member Jamie Holton is well aware of Garcilazo’s skill as well, and hopes that his appearance in the Grants area can lead to more of the like. “I hope that some day we can have a Mexican-type rodeo here, a day during the 4th of July celebration, where the charros and other Mexican riders can show how differently they do things from here,” Holton said. Garcilazo often performs with young family members, and Gonzales feels that this is certainly in line with his approachable nature. Whether or not he’ll be able to impart some of his knowledge towards Cibola County’s charritos is unknown, but Holton said that a man of his stature can serve as a role model for youth in attendance; 4H practitioners included but even those that are not. “From personal experience, kids I’ve known that have been involved in 4H have become teachers and lawyers,” she said. “But our rodeo has always been geared for all children. Our focus has always been on what we can do for the kids.” Following his appearance in Grants, and other U.S. performances, Garcilazo is slated to spend 10 days in Sao Paolo, Brazil, making his stop in Cibola County a must-see event.
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Grants Rodeo highlights the ‘Tough Enough to Wear Pink’ theme By Bob Tenequer Beacon Staff Writer
CIBOLA COUNTY - Are you tough enough to wear pink? Matt Matthews, vice president of the Grants Rodeo Association was and wore it with pride. Harold E. “Matt” Matthews died on June 1 from cancer and was laid to rest in a pink western shirt. ‘Unconventional’ is a term that comes to mind when describing Matthews life. Not only did he buck the notion that the color pink didn’t quite represent the color of clothing the bull riders and steer wrestlers wore; but by the way he came to love rodeo. The first rodeo Matt attended was the Boysville Rodeo held at a baseball field in upper Michigan. According to his wife Patsy Matthews, Matt’s love
for the Rodeo came from the pageantry, odor and smells. He wrote in an unpublished essay, “Never saw so many people dressed in western boots, hats, shirts, every color in the rainbow and horses black, bay, pinto and appaloosa, oh man the excitement. The odor ‘Whoa Nelly’ hotdogs, hamburgers, popcorn smell mixed with leather and horse and cattle odors. You either loved it of got sick and left,” Matt loved it. Matthews wore western boots, wranglers and snap shirts topped with a Stetson hat to school which was sorta out of place in the Midwest town he grew up in. He wrote that he remembers his grandfather saying, “don’t worry about what people say they are not buying your clothes and anyway they have to live with
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their thoughts.” As a fitting tribute to one of their own, whose battle with cancer and his undying love for rodeo exemplified the meaning of the event the Grants Rodeo Association choose the “Tough Enough to Wear Pink (TWWP) theme for the overall 87th Annual July 4th Celebration, Wild West Days Rodeo. Norene Canada, Grants Rodeo Association volunteer, said the TWWP idea came about last year when the rodeo committee was discussing plans for this year’s event. We had heard stories many stories about rodeo families that were impacted by cancer and how they were organizing “Are You Tough Enough to Wear Pink,” challenges to broaden the awareness of early detection of the disease and to support families in need. Little did the committee know at the time that their Vice President, Matt Matthew would be diagnosed with cancer. After they found out all the committee members said “let’s do this,” Canada said. Two weeks before his death, Matthews picked up his Wrangler pin stripped pink shirt, embroidered Continued on Page 20
COURTESY PHOTOS
HAROLD E. “MATT” MATTHEWS
Enjoy the fireworks and be safe this Fourth of July! CIBOLA COUNTY CORRECTION CENTER MILAN, NM
WILD WEST DAYS 2011 19
with a pink ribbon, Canada remembers. He was planning on wearing the shirt at this year’s rodeo, she said. Canada said that in support of the Grants Rodeo Association’s effort in promoting the Tough Enough to Wear Pink theme the committee wants everyone who attends the rodeo to wear pink. Ms. Matthews said that Matt still worked the rodeo grounds even after he found out he had cancer. She recalled him saying that if he knew he was going to live this long he would have taken better care of himself when he was young. Before moving to Grants, Mr. Matthews helped organize the 4-H rodeo in Albuquerque, N.M. for 14 years. “Tough Enough to Wear Pink”
was created by Terry Wheatley, an entrepreneur and cancer survivor, as a challenge to the cowboys and cowgirls to wear pink apparel to bring attention to the early detec-
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tion and cure to breast cancer. The challenge was introduced during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2004. According to Canada this years’ rodeo overall theme: “Are You Tough Enough to Wear Pink,” is being organized by the barrel racers and will be on prominent display at all rodeo events, at the parade, and there will even be a pink horse. The proceeds raised during the rodeo will go to the Cibola General Hospital. The funds will help individuals who do not have health insurance or any other the means for paying for the costs of a mammogram. After the event Grants Rodeo Association President, Richard Jones will make a presentation to the hospital.
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Fire Restrictions increased for BLM Public Lands Since May 19th, the public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management’s Albuquerque District including Cibola County have been under fire restrictions. Due to continued high temperatures, low rainfall and humidity, and gusty winds, the BLM has added to those fire restrictions, effective Wednesday, June 29, 2011, to help prevent wildfires and ensure public and firefighter safety. The increased restrictions include a prohibition on all off-road travel throughout the District and no fires allowed in established campfire rings and grills at Datil Well and Joe Skeen Campgrounds, and the Socorro Nature Area. Effective at 8:00 a.m., Wednesday, June 29, 2011, and until rescinded, the following acts are prohibited: 1. Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, charcoal, coal, or wood stove. The use of petroleum-fueled stoves, lanterns or heating devices, provided such devices meet the fire underwriter’s specifications for safety, is allowed. 2. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building. 3. Discharging fireworks or using an explosive requiring fuse blasting caps. 4. Operating a chainsaw without an approved spark arrester and without a chemically pressurized fire extinguisher of not less than eight-ounce capacity by weight, and one round point shovel. The extinguisher will be with the equipment operator. The shovel may be kept with fueling supplies but readily available for use. 5. Welding, or operating acetylene or other torch
with open flame, except within an area that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials at least 10 feet on all sides from equipment. 6. Possessing or using a motor vehicle off roads, except when parking in an area devoid of vegetation within 10 feet of the roadway. These restrictions have been coordinated with other land management agencies, the New Mexico State Forestry Division, and affected counties. Fire Prevention Orders are available at each District Office and will be posted to http://www.publiclands.org/firenews/NM.php. As this year’s busy fire season continues, additional restrictions or closures may be necessary; check for updates at www.nmfireinfo.com Questions regarding this order, or temporary road closures, should be addressed to the BLM Fire Management Officer, Todd Richards, at (505)761-8769 or the Albuquerque District Office at (505)761-8700.
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